


Head Over Skates

by Downward Stroke (casual_distance)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: First Kiss, Gen, Getting Together, Gray-ace Dex, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Samwell Men's Hockey Team - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:00:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casual_distance/pseuds/Downward%20Stroke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It's Nursey who's clumsy. Nursey who has tripped over countless objects, tripped over nothing. Nursey who broke six phones all told last year and is already on his second one this year. Nursey who has actually had to have the team stand up for him more than once when he spilt food over the wrong person in the cafeteria.</i>
</p>
<p>  <i>It's Nursey who's clumsy, but it's Will who has managed to break his arm.  </i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Head Over Skates

**Author's Note:**

> For the OMGCP Challenge Trope #4 Hurt/Comfort

Will leans back in his hospital bed waiting for the cast to set and debates who to call. His first instinct is to call Nursey, but the thought of the sheer amount of chirping that Will knows he'd be facing makes him wince.

It's Nursey who's clumsy. Nursey who has tripped over countless objects, tripped over _nothing_. Nursey who broke six phones all told last year and is already on his second one this year. Nursey who has actually had to have the team stand up for him more than once when he spilt food over the wrong person in the cafeteria.

It's Nursey who's clumsy, but it's Will who has managed to break his arm. And in the most embarrassing way possible.

Will sighs. He knows Jack won't say anything, but he _will_ have that extremely effective Disappointed Captain look now that Will's going to be benched until he gets the cast off. Will's pissed enough about that already so he’s going to pass on the extra guilt, thanks.

Chowder would be too excitable and too worried and just- too much right now. All Will really wants is to curl up and go to sleep. He debates driving himself even though he knows it's not feasible. He's got pain meds in him. His truck is still on campus, not that it matters, because it’s a stick shift and he’s broken his right arm.

A nurse comes in to check on the cast’s progress, smiling at him. "How are you feeling?" she asks as she runs delicate fingers over it.

He shrugs, and she offers him a sympathetic look.

"Well, you seem to be all set here. Do you have someone to pick you up?"

"Um... yeah."

She pats his shoulder. "You give them a call. I'll get your paperwork started and then we'll go over your care instructions, okay?"

Will nods. He waits until she's out of the room before he unlocks his phone. Bitty answers on the third ring just as Will is about to hang up.

"Dex!" Bitty greets, laughter in his voice. Will immediately feels bad. He slinks down in the bed and tries to rub his hand over his face, only to be stopped by the cast. He gives an annoyed grunt.

"Dex?"

"Hey, Bits."

"What's up, honey?" Bitty asks, then, phone pulled away from his ear, "Stop you! I'm- It's Dex- Stop!"

Will groans. Of course Bitty's not alone. He rarely is.

Bitty hears him and when he says Will's name again, he sounds worried. "You okay, Dex?"

"Yeah. I just, uh, I need a favor-"

"Of course!"

"No, but, uh- You can't tell anyone. Not yet."

Bitty's quiet for a moment. "Are you in trouble?"

Will winces. "Kinda. I need a ride."

"Oh! Did something happen to your truck?" Will can hear someone talking in the background, but Bitty ignores them.

"Um... not exactly." Will sighs. "I'm in the hospital."

"What! Dex! Are you okay?" Then, phone away from his mouth again, tone serious this time: "Stop!"

Will can't deal with this right now. "You know what- never mi-"

"William Poindexter." Bitty's voice is cold and hard and though it has nothing on his mom's when she's angry, it runs a close second. Will's mouth snaps shut. "You better not be about to tell me never mind. Now, honey, I would love to give you a ride, but I don't have a car. Are you sure I can't tell someone else?"

Will drops his head back against the pillow. "Who are you with?"

"Jack."

Will makes a face. When he takes too long to answer, Bitty sighs into the phone. "Dex, it'll be okay. Jack and I are coming for you. We won't tell anyone else."

"Yeah. Fine."

"Which hospital are you at?"

"Samwell General."

The nurse pushes his door open again and waits until Will hangs up after Bitty promises again they'll come for him. She tells him how to care for his cast and gives him instructions for follow up appointments. Then she runs over his discharge papers.

"You have someone on your way?" she confirms.

Will nods and checks the time. "They should be here soon."

"Okay, well, when they get here, we'll get you outta here."

She pats his unbroken arm and leaves him alone. Will presses his arm over his eyes and tries to relax. It's not long before Bitty and Jack arrive, the nurse showing Bitty in. Will swings his feet over the edge of the bed just in time to catch Bitty's hug.

"You poor thing," Bitty mourns when he pulls back to check on Will's arm.

"Can we just go?" Will asks.

Bitty gives him a chiding look, but lets the nurse load Will into a wheelchair without comment. She follows Bitty out to the front of the hospital where Jack is sitting in his truck as it idles in the patient pick-up lane. He climbs out to help load Will into the passenger seat while Bitty squeezes into the tiny backseat.

"Did you get a pain prescription?" Bitty asks.

"Yeah, it's in the paperwork." Bitty insisted on carrying it all for him.

Will hears the papers shuffle and then Bitty hums. "Okay. We'll get this taken care of it." He pauses for a second, then continues, his voice taking on that stern tone again. "We're taking you back to the Haus."

"No, Bits-" Will starts to protest, stopping when Jack sends him a warning look.

"No arguing." Bitty leans over the seat to glare at him. "You're hurt, not just sick. You'll take my room and tomorrow you can go back to your dorm room."

Will gives in. When they get to the Haus, he lets Bitty guide him upstairs and sits in Bitty's desk chair cradling his arm while Bitty changes his sheets. Bitty stops short of actually tucking him in, but Will can see it's a close thing. Bitty sets a bottle of water on his desk and then leaves him to sleep.

When he wakes again, it's dark out. A note is propped up between his water and a prescription bottle. The meds he'd been given at the hospital have worn off and his arm aches up into his chest. He manages to sit up and read the note. It's from Bitty, telling him to text when he's awake. The pills need to be taken with food and Bitty has stuff already made he can heat up quickly.

Will debates just taking the pill and going back to sleep, but his stomach growls so he does as Bitty has asked.

Ten minutes later, the door to Bitty's room opens and Chowder backs in carrying a tray, closely followed by Nursey.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Will swears.

"We brought you food!" Chowder smiles and shows Will the tray which contains a sandwich and a bowl of soup. He waits while Will drags himself slowly up the bed. Once he's propped up, Chowder carefully sets the tray in Will's lap. If he has to deal with these two now at least Nursey wasn't in charge of the food or he’d be wearing it. Chowder sits at the foot of the bed while Nursey sits in the Bitty's desk chair. 

Chowder yammers on about his day while they watch as Will tries to navigate feeding himself soup with his left hand. The spoon at least is a broad, deep thing which means it's not as bad as it could have been. Eventually he gives up and settles for eating the sandwich. He's barely finished the last bite before Nursey snatches up the prescription bottle and gives Will a pill. Will pops it into his mouth and swallows it with a mouthful of water. He sinks down into the bed, letting Chowder take the tray back downstairs to Bitty.

It's only once Chowder's left the room that Will realizes Nursey hasn't spoken once. He shuffles down on the bed, heaving an exhausted sigh when he manages to lay flat, his arm braced carefully against his body. He adjusts the pillow under his head and looks over at Nursey to find him frowning.

"What?" he asks.

"Why didn't you call me?"

Will groans and covers his face with his arm. "Just didn't," he mutters.

"I would have come to pick you up," Nursey says.

"I know."

"So?"

"So what?" Will moves his arm to glare at Nursey.

Nursey rolls his eyes. "Come _on_ , Dex."

Will runs his hand across his face, rubbing his fingers into his eyes until spots danced behind his eyelids. "Just didn't, Nurse. It wasn't anything personal."

"Okay, then why didn't you tell me?"

"Do we have to do this now?"

Nursey sighs. "No, guess not," he mutters. “I brought you some stuff.” 

Nursey crosses the room to grab Will’s duffel bag and set it in his chair. Will sits up and catches the clean t-shirt and sweats Nursey tosses to him. Nursey has to help him with his shirt, but he turns away when Will shucks off his jeans and pulls on the sweats. He sighs in relief and hands off his dirty clothes before crawling back into bed. Nursey tucks them away and sets the duffel back to the floor by Bitty’s closet.

Will expects him to leave, but he doesn't. He considers asking him to leave, but he doesn't. Instead he drapes his arm over his face again and watches Nursey from beneath the curve of it. After a few minutes, Nursey spins Bitty's chair around and starts digging through his desk. He finds a few scraps of paper and a pen and starts writing. Will falls asleep to the scratch of Nursey's poetry.

 

* * *

 

Will wakes before he's ready the next morning. His arm hurts and his bladder is insistent. Will crawls from the bed and heads for the bathroom to relieve himself. He splashes water across his face and breathes. When he gets back to the room, he discovers Nursey asleep over Bitty's desk. 

He winces at the thought of the cramps Nursey's going to have to deal with before he thumps Nursey on the shoulder, startling him awake. He staggers out of the reach of Nursey's flailing limbs and waits until he orients himself. Then Will sits on the bed and grabs his pain pills. He dry swallows one.

"You're supposed to take that with food," Nursey says, his voice scratchy.

Will looks up to see him blinking blearily back at him. He shrugs with his left shoulder. "Hurts."

Nursey blinks and looks infinitely more awake. He frowns down at Will's arm. "Do you need me to get anything?"

"Breakfast? Something that doesn't take long."

Nursey nods and slips out of the chair. He trips over his feet and nearly crashes into the door frame. Will rolls his eyes and hopes Nursey doesn't bring him anything liquid.

He doesn't. He brings some kind of breakfast bar he assures Will Bitty baked. It's as good as Will expected.

The pills have kicked in by the time Will finishes eating and Nursey takes his plate, pushing him down into the bed. He falls asleep before Nursey's left the room. 

He wakes later in the day to Bitty bustling about his room, gathering things up into a duffel bag.

"Bitty?"

"Dex!" Bitty spins, startled, a hand pressed to his chest. "How are you doin'?" he asks as he comes over to check on Will.

Will groans as he sits up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "What time is it? Where's Nursey?"

Bitty glances at his phone. "Just after 2. Nursey's in class. I came in to gather some things since you were passed out."

Will realizes abruptly that he's kicked Bitty out of his room. He swings his feet over the edge of the bed and tries to get up, but Bitty catches him by the shoulders.

"Where do you think you're goin'?" he asks.

"I shouldn't kick you out of your room." If there's anything he's learned from his parents, it's to not be a burden. 

Bitty just makes a face and urges him back into the bed. "You’re fine, honey. Lay back down. I've got an air mattress in Jack's room and you shouldn't be alone right now."

"It's just my arm," Will protests. He relents finally at Bitty's narrow-eyed look and settles back in bed. He'll have to use the bathroom soon, but he's okay for now.

Bitty sits in his desk chair and regards Will. "I broke my arm once." He holds out his left arm and shows Will the scar that runs up the inside by his elbow. Will's never noticed it before and feels guilty for it. "It was actually during a competition. One of my first. Messed up a jump and landed hard. I had to have surgery." He smiles at Will and pats him on the shoulder. "Just let us take care of you for a couple days, Dex. Lord knows I owe you for all the times you rushed over here to fix Betsy. Now, are you hungry?"

"Uh... I guess."

"I'll heat somethin' up for you."

While Bitty's downstairs, Will uses the bathroom and drinks some water. After he’s eaten the food Bitty returned with, he watches Bitty gather a few more things and then he leaves with Will's dirty dishes. Will lets the pills drag him under again, but sets an alarm for when he knows Nursey will be out of class. He ends up resetting it when it goes off the first time, but the second time Will wakes to Nursey fighting with his phone, trying to turn it off.

"What're you doin'?" he slurs.

"You should sleep if you're tired."

Will groans and covers his face with his arm. "Sleepin' too much," he grumbles.

Nursey snorts and gets the alarm turned off finally. "You hungry?"

Will takes a moment to consider. When he nods, Nursey texts Bitty. He's not ready for a pill, so he pushes himself up to lean against the wall, watching as Nursey fusses with his laptop. He notices a pile of books stacked against the wall and, after a moment, realizes they're his books. Nursey sees him looking.

"I let your professors know what had happened. They gave me your assignments."

"Shit. I forgot completely. Thanks."

Nursey shrugs. "No big." His phone goes off and he picks it up to read the text. “Chowder’s on his way over.” 

He texts back while Will sits up a little more. He pulls the stack of papers off the top of the books and starts flipping through them. He’s on good terms with most of his professors, so there are notes of sympathy and a few have alternate assignments. His programming teacher has sent a debugging assignment in place of a coding assignment since he’ll have limited use of his hand. His English teacher will accept an oral report as long as it meets certain criteria. Will skims through it and decides it’s doable.

Will puts it all aside and watches Nursey as he works on his own homework. He hunts and pecks at the keyboard. Will watches with interest, his eyebrows rising to his hairline.

Nursey catches him looking. “One word and I’ll ask what happened,” he threatens.

Will makes a show of pressing his lips together tightly.

Pounding footsteps catch their attention and they both turn in time for Chowder to burst into the room. He grins at Will.

“Dex! You’re awake!”

Will shrugs. “I haven’t taken a pill yet.” He feels like crap and wants to go to sleep, but he’s also hungry.

Chowder gives him a sympathetic look. He drops down on the other end of the bed and starts pulling his books from his backpack. “I think Bitty’ll be up soon with food. He said he’d bring us all something.”

He does. He comes up carrying a large tray Will has never seen before. There’s a plate piled high with sandwiches, a couple of sides, and a pie. Jack follows him into the room carrying two tables. One is for Will, a folding tray that he can set in his lap. The other is for the boys. Bitty serves Will first, then sets up the table. Nursey and Chowder sit on the bed, Bitty sits in his desk chair, and Jack wheels his over from across the hall.

He’s a little separate, but that’s okay mostly. His arm hurts and he’s tired. They bring him into the conversation sometimes- Jack wants to know what the doctor said and if he knows how long the cast will be on. He only stops talking hockey when Bitty rolls his eyes and chides him about taking a damn day off. Jack flushes and offers Bitty a sheepish shrug, but he lets Bitty change the subject.

It’s not long before they’re back on hockey though, this time the NHL. Chowder talks about the Sharks and Jack talks about the teams that have approached him. Bitty seems focused on Jack, but he notices when Will tries to open the prescription bottle on his own. He takes it from Will and hands him a pill, followed quickly by his water. He clears Will’s tray away and then Will listens to them talk until he falls asleep again.

 

* * *

 

He feels better the next day and makes some progress on his homework before he has to take another pill, which puts him to sleep again. He startles awake when Nursey shows up after his classes.

“You’re up,” he comments as he drops into the desk chair. He pulls out his laptop and then starts piling literature books on top of it.

Will squints at the stack of books before rolling his eyes. “I am now, thanks,” he grumbles. He uprights himself and watches as Nursey starts flipping through the books, stopping every so often to compare passages. He debates doing more homework, but he’s still groggy.

“Hey, can I borrow your laptop?”

Nursey glances at him. “Yeah. Do you mind if I-?” He points at the foot of the bed.

Will shakes his head, then gives Nursey a dirty look when he sets the laptop in his lap instead of just handing it over. Nursey smirks at him before climbing over Will’s feet to wedge himself in the corner.

Will likes the setup of Bitty’s bed, a wall at either end and the window in the middle. It’s cozy, comfortable. Tucked away with Nursey on the other end, it’s intimate.

The thought makes Will flush in embarrassment. He ignores the way his heart pounds and focuses on finding something to watch on Netflix. He sinks down a little in the bed and watches through half-closed eyes as _The Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._ plays. He hadn’t been interested in any of the superhero movies, but Nursey, Holster, and Bitty had insisted on a Marvel marathon when they found out he’d not seen any of them. Nursey had grabbed Chowder and Holster had grabbed Ransom. When Bitty had called Jack and Shitty, Jack had decided to make it a team bonding experience and spread the word. Will had enjoyed the evening and the movies more than he had expected.

Nursey flicks him an amused grin when he realizes what Will’s watching, but otherwise doesn’t comment. He focuses on his homework, using Will’s shins as a bookrack, dropping books face down on them to hold his place.

Will finds his attention drawn to Nursey instead of the movie. The light in the room has gone gold and red as the sun started setting, and it makes Nursey glow. Will studies him, fascinated. He himself never tans. He burns a bright red and then freckles worse than before. He’s seen Nursey burn, but it mostly comes across as a slight redness over the bridge of his nose and the curve of his cheeks. Will had been endeared by it until he’d caught the tail of Ransom’s lecture about how people with dark skin needed to use protection, too, and then he’d always make sure to share his sunscreen.

Nursey frowns slightly, eyebrows drawing up in consideration, eyes moving back and forth as he reads. Will tracks their movement. They’re darker than his, a muddy green compared to Will’s light brown, but sometimes, when he’s in sunlight or turned so that a room light shines on his face, Will can see the flecks of brown and gold in them. With his head turned down, Will can’t see the detail of them, but the light makes them saturated, turns them a rich dark green.

Nursey’s eyebrows relax, his frown shifting into a smile, slower and more satisfied than it usually is. It starts at one corner of his mouth and crawls across his face, curving up the other side and crinkling the skin around his eyes. Will likes this smile. He likes Nursey’s smile even when it’s a sharp teasing thing, or lazy with amusement. When he’s really amused, his eyebrows go up too. He’s never surprised, though. Will looks back up at his eyes and tries to imagine them wide with shock or delight or any sudden emotion, but he can’t. He knows now that Nursey feels things deep, but he’s also learned that it’s not sudden, it never is. Will wonders what that’s like, to have things build instead of be sharp and unexpected and overwhelming.

Will wouldn’t ever admit it, but he’s fascinated by Nursey. He’s never met anyone so beautiful as him, not really. A lot of the hockey team is good looking- Jack gets a lot of comments and doe-eyed stares when they go out. Ransom has girls hanging off him all the time, too. The number of guys that hit on Bitty is astounding given that he’s never seen Bitty go home with any of them. Nursey, though, he’s in an entirely different league, and Will’s not sure why.

Maybe it’s the way Will likes all of him. The way all these little pieces- his curly hair and his dark eyes and his slow smile and his broad nose and his perpetual stubble- come together. But it’s also maybe more than that. It’s the way he’ll sit and read for hours, or the way he makes faces as he does. It’s also the way he knows his friends so well, because now that Will knows _him_ better, he can see the way Nursey will pick his words and time his comments. He knows what to say to make Bitty blush, and to make Holster and Ransom roar with laughter, or Chowder light up with delight. 

It’s only when Nursey glances up and catches him that Will realizes he’s been staring. He feels the heat of embarrassment burn across his face, but Nursey only smiles at him and goes back to his reading.

Will likes that about him too, the way things can be no big deal with him. He won’t ever not care the way Nursey can, but Nursey makes it easy to not be embarrassed or shy or too worried. Nursey makes it easier to relax sometimes. 

Will shifts a little lower into the bed and focuses on his show. He watches Coulson and May snark back and forth and enjoys the quiet.

 

* * *

 

Will wakes early the next morning, the sky barely beginning to lighten in the distance, and it’s like a switch has been flipped. He still aches, but the sharpness that meant he needed a pain pill has receded. The exhaustion has also eased, to his relief. Will sits up and realizes that Nursey’s still in the bed with him. He’s propped up in the corner, arms folded across his chest, snoring slightly. Will snorts a laugh and climbs out of bed to use the bathroom.

When he returns, Nursey is sitting at the edge, blinking around the room in confusion. He startles when he catches sight of Will.

“Where’d you go?” he slurs, rubbing his knuckles into his eyes.

“Bathroom.” He sits next to Nursey on the bed and cringes as a he gets a whiff of himself. “Man, I need a shower.”

“So take one,” Nursey grunts. 

Will looks over at him, amused. Nursey’s still squinting around the room, obviously not really awake.

“I can’t,” he says and holds up his cast.

Nursey looks down at it and it’s a few moments before his eyes focus enough to actually see what Will’s getting at.

“Oh, right.”

Will laughs. Nursey looks up at him and smiles with the corner of his mouth.

“You feelin’ better?” he asks.

“For now.”

“You can’t get it wet, right?” Nursey asks. When Will nods, he pats Will’s thigh. “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

He disappears out the door, and when he returns he’s carrying a couple of garbage bags and a roll of tape. “Bitty got ‘em for you. I’d forgotten until just now.”

Will frowns down at his arm. He wiggles his fingers. The cast comes right up to his knuckles and circles the base of his thumb completely. He’ll have to wrap his whole hand, leaving him with just the one to wash with.

“What?” Nursey asks.

“Just…” Will sighs. “Not sure how well I can manage a shower with one hand.”

Nursey is silent long enough that Will looks up at him. He watches Will, a strangely hesitant look on his face. “I could help,” he offers.

Will stares at Nursey. “What?”

Because Nursey can’t really mean that he’ll get in the shower with Will. Sure, they shower together all the time after practice, but that’s a locker room, with wide showers and separate shower heads and no actual touching. And just how much help is he offering? Is he going to wash Will’s hair? His body? How much of his body?

Nursey smirks, but it’s forced. “Come on, man, we shower together all the time.”

Will’s face heats in an instant.

Nursey laughs. “We can keep our boxers on, you prude.”

That doesn’t solve, like, any of Will’s issues, but he also really wants a shower. He holds out his cast without saying anything. The laughter drains from Nursey’s face. His eyes dart back and forth between Will’s, and when he swallows the sound is loud in the room.

Carefully, Nursey helps Will out of his t-shirt, dragging it over the cast without knocking Will’s arm too much. He covers Will’s cast with the garbage bag, taping it closed around his upper arm just above the elbow.

Will heads for the bathroom while Nursey gathers towels from Bitty’s closet. He starts the water running to warm up and wiggles out of his sweats, leaving just his boxers on. He sits on the toilet and waits for Nursey to come back. By the time he does, Will’s nearly talked himself out of this. He stands, ready to turn the water off, but freezes when the door opens. 

He watches as Nursey shuts the door behind him, drops the towels on the edge of the sink, and pulls off his shirt. He doesn’t hesitate, just undresses as if this is normal for him, as if his heart isn’t beating out of his chest the way Will’s is.

It probably isn’t, Will realizes abruptly. Nursey isn’t going to go for someone like Will, and whatever that was back in Bitty’s bedroom, it wasn’t sexual tension. 

Will turns away from Nursey and climbs into the shower. He swallows back his frustration and ducks his head under the water. He runs his hand through his hair to get it wet and tries not to flinch when Nursey climbs in after him, closing the door.

“Fuck, why are there so many bottles in here?” Nursey mutters when he kicks them over and has to spend five minutes picking them up.

Will snorts. “I’d say because of Bitty but you know Rans and Holster are just as bad.”

Nursey gives a sharp bark of laughter. It's almost derisive so Will adds, "Like you don’t have just as many."

"Meh. I usually just use what my stylist tells me to."

Will rolls his eyes even though Nursey can't see, but he thinks about that. Nursey's hair is always slicked down and styled so that his hair shines and curves in waves when he comes back from the salon. Will likes it best a few days after that, when whatever's in his hair has washed away and his hair curls up with just a bit of frizz, but the sides are still shaved into that soft, downy look. It makes Will want to cup the back of Nursey’s head, to feel that hair against the palm of his hand before he slides his fingers up into Nursey's curls and tangles them there. It makes him ache to touch. Will likes it best then, but he also hates it the most too.

Behind him Will hears the click of a lid open, then the snap of it closing. After the third bottle, Will glances over his shoulder, blinking water out of his eyes, to see Nursey opening bottles and sniffing them. He opens his mouth to say something, but doesn’t know what. Instead he turns back and focuses on rubbing his hand over his body, doing a quick water-wash. The idea that Nursey wants to pick what he smells like sends a strange shiver down his spine. He pushes the thought away when heat starts to pool in his groin.

"Here, tip your head back."

"Find something you like?" he asks even as he steps back, tilting his head. He collides with Nursey, his back pressing to Nursey's chest. There's a moment where they both freeze. Will's skin is slick with water and hotter than Nursey's. He can feel the way Nursey's chest rises against his back but doesn't fall again, the way a hand rests feather-light on his hip, the sharp press of hipbones against the top of his ass. Nursey shifts, and there's a glide of skin on skin that sticks slightly. Then he steps back and clears his throat.

"I said tilt your head back, man."

"I was trying to get out of the water."

Nursey doesn't respond, but Will hears the bottle fart and then the lid snap shut. There's a strange slicking sound and then Nursey's fingers are in his hair massaging. He scratches his nails along Will's scalp, making Will groan and tip his head all the way back. He works the shampoo into Will's hair longer than necessary, but Will doesn't complain. It smells sweet and natural, maybe like herbs of some kind. Will likes it. He guesses Nursey does too.

He shudders slightly as Nursey rakes his nails through his hair. Nursey's hands wander down his neck, over his shoulders and then disappear.

"Can you rinse off?" he asks, his voice rough. 

Will blinks his eyes open, uncertain when he’d even closed them, and lifts his head. He steps forward under the spray, scrubbing with his left hand. Nursey's fingers join his after a moment and Will lowers his hand to let Nursey take charge of rinsing the shampoo from his hair. When the water runs clean, Nursey removes his hands, but it's not long before they're back, this time working soap over Will's shoulders and back, fingers digging in where he's tense. They don't speak, either of them, and Will struggles to control his breathing.

Nursey washes his right arm, careful to keep from getting soap on the tape, then switches to his left arm. He turns Will slightly so that he can wash all the way down to Will's hand, slipping his fingers between Will's. Will watches, breathing heavily, equal parts mesmerized and baffled by the way Nursey is touching him.

Nursey turns him forward with a gentle touch to his shoulder, then steps up behind him, pressing his chest to Will's back. Will goes tense again. His breath catches in his throat when Nursey wraps his arms around Will's chest and sets his chin on Will's shoulder.

"Would you chill?" Nursey says directly into his ear, his voice low.

Will swallows. He can't even bring himself to be irritated, not when Nursey's skin is pressed flush with his, hot and damp with humidity, slick with the soap between them. Nursey flattens his hands against Will's ribs. One dips low, stroking across his abs, then lower. Will catches it before it can reach the waistband of his boxers. He doesn't dare look down, not when he can feel the weight of his arousal low in his gut and in the way his dick is filling out. He doesn't want to know what it looks like to Nursey from this angle, boxers so wet they hide nothing.

"What is this?" he asks.

Nursey shifts his chin to the curve of Will's shoulder, turning his head so that Will can feel his breath against his neck.

"What do you think it is?"

Will rolls his eyes. He tries to step away but Nursey tightens his arms.

"I don't _do_ casual," Will says, bitter. Will doesn't really talk about it, about how he gets turned on and jacks off, but how it's rarely directed at a person. He'd learned from Shitty's introductory speech his frog year that he was somewhere on the ace spectrum, but he hadn't bothered to find out more. College was enough to think about. Had been enough until Nursey had worked his way under Will's skin.

"I do?" Nursey asks.

"Oh my God." Will struggles against Nursey's hold, but he doesn't get far, not with the Nursey holding on and the slick tiles and Nursey going, "Hey, Will, stop," right in his ear.

"What the hell, man?" Nursey asks when Will finally does stop.

"You were the one who went on this big speech about how relationships weren't 'chill' enough for you," Will grumbles. He wraps his hands around Nursey's wrists, but he doesn't pull his hands away.

"Yeah, okay," Nursey agrees, "but I also haven't had a one night stand in months, dude. Or did you not notice?"

"I don't exactly keep track of your conquests."

Nursey doesn't respond. His fingers drift a little, stroking over the lines of Will's stomach. He sighs and digs his chin into Will's shoulder. Will waits.

"Look, I love my parents, right?" Nursey starts.

Will hadn't meant for him to do more than just say he wasn't using Will for some relief. He opens his mouth to say that, but Nursey squeezes him gently. Will shuts his mouth and lets him talk.

"I think they did love each other at one point, but now their relationship is more about... just having a relationship. Like, less about love than about being with someone." Nursey pauses. He shifts his chin until he can press his lips against Will’s skin. Will lets himself relax, just a little. "I just... I mean, I always wanted to fall in love and have some grand romance, but as I got older, it was like relationships were less about being in love and more about, I dunno, having sex. Or not being alone. Or having someone to show off."

Nursey pauses again. His fingers flex into Will's skin. "Bitty still believes in it, ya know. Some great love. Lardo's kinda hinted that she does too, but she won't talk about it so much. And all those poets."

Will snorts in amusement.

"I wanted it," Nursey admits. "Just didn't think I'd ever meet someone who made me feel that way. Then I met you. And you're kinda awkward and definitely tense and you'd piss me off in ways I'd never been pissed off before. But you're also, like, really hot. And really clever. And you don't stop, like at all. You get on the ice and you play until you can't. You insist we get every goddamn move down before going home."

Will closes his eyes and drops his head back against Nursey's shoulder.

"You're like goddamn perfect for me, Will. You make me think there's something to it."

Will swallows through a thick throat. He's never had someone talk about him like that. It makes his chest ache in the best way.

"You coulda just said you like me," Will finally says.

"Oh, fuck you, Dex," Nursey laughs. He presses a soft kiss to Will's neck. "You gonna let me jerk you off or not."

"And there's the romance," Will snorts, but he lets go of Nursey's hands.

Nursey pushes him up to stand on his own feet. When Will's upright, he slips his fingers under the waistband of Will's boxers.

"Can I take these off?"

"Yeah."

Nursey pushes them down his thighs until they fall to Will's feet on their own. Will kicks them aside and then reaches behind him to tug on Nursey's. 

"Yours too."

Will hears the wet splat of Nursey's boxers hitting the tub floor and then they go flying past his ankles to slap against the wall. Will laughs, but the sound catches in his throat when Nursey's hands, soapy and slick, curve around his ribs to press him back against Nursey's body again. Will looks down to watch as Nursey runs his hands over his chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscles. He presses his palms flat over Will's pecs, presses against Will's nipples.

"Do you..."

Will nods. Nursey plays with his nipples, rolling them between his fingers, tugging on them until Will groans. He leans back against Nursey so that his hips press against Will’s ass. Nursey's hard already, and Will feels him rub up against him, against the curve of his ass and the small of his back. He shudders and presses back, grinding against Nursey's cock.

Nursey slaps his chest lightly. "Just let me," he says even though his voice is rough and his hips roll into Will's when Will stops moving.

"I'm okay."

"Just let me," Nursey says again, so Will does.

He closes his eyes and focuses on the way Nursey runs his hands down his abs. He traces down the thin trail of hair that leads to between Will's legs. Just as he's about to touch Will's cock, Nursey pulls his hands away.

Will groans in complaint, but Nursey only laughs. His hands are soapy again when he wraps them around Will's hips and tugs him closer. Will relaxes back against Nursey and closes his eyes as Nursey's hands slip down over his thighs, then curve inward. Will moans when one slips up to cup his balls. Nursey massages them, rolling them in his palm. He brings his other hand up and wraps it around Will's dick, stroking without hesitation.

Will opens his eyes and looks down. He doesn't really believe what he's seeing, watching the way Nursey strokes him, curving his fingers over the head of Will's cock before slipping down again. It's obscene. It's wonderful. 

Will twists his head to look at Nursey where he's got his chin on Will's shoulder, also watching his hand. He glances up at Will and smiles that lazy smile that starts at one side of his mouth and works its way to the other. His eyes are warm and pleased. His gaze flicks down to Will's mouth and his lips part, the smile fading. Will's breath catches in his chest. Nursey doesn't close the gap between them, but he tightens his hand and twists it around the head of Will's cock, and Will has to turn away, a low groan breaking free. 

He braces his hand against the shower wall and spreads his feet a little wider. Nursey mutters encouragement under his breath as he keeps his grip tight and strokes faster. Will presses back against him, moaning low in his throat, unable to catch his breath completely. His hips jerk forward when he comes, and Nursey’s encouragement changes to praise. Will shivers in his arms until his orgasm wanes.

He relaxes against Nursey for a moment, letting him support his weight, but when he stands up, his vision snows out and Will finds himself listing.

“Woah, man!” Nursey grabs him and keeps him from falling. “You okay?”

“Dizzy.” Will reaches out for the wall and Nursey helps him find it.

“Can you stand long enough for me to wash you off?”

“Yeah.” 

He leans forward against the wall, bracing his weight on his good hand while he helps balance with the first of his right hand. After a moment, he fumbles with the water faucet, turning down the temperature. The coolness helps dissipate some of the dizziness as the foggy heat of the shower lessens. Nursey runs his hands over Will’s body, his touch perfunctory and quick instead of the slow, dragging touch of earlier. Will grunts when his hands slip between his legs again to rinse the soap there, too.

“Okay for a sec?” Nursey asks when he’s done.

“Yeah.”

Will hears the curtain pull back and listens to Nursey’s feet thump until he feels a hand on his back.

“Come here, Dex.”

Will lets himself be helped out of the shower. Nursey sits him down on the toilet lid, cushioned by a towel. It’s a relief to be sitting and he sags under Nursey’s touch when he slings another towel around him and dries him off.

When his dizziness eases up, Will opens his eyes to find Nursey’s crotch right in front of him. He stares even as his face heats. Nursey’s still a bit hard, his dick jutting out toward Will and bouncing slightly as he moves around to take care of Will. He feels guilty and reaches out to touch Nursey’s thigh.

Nursey jumps, startled, and looks down at him with a frown.

“You didn’t get anything.”

Nursey shakes his head. He wraps the towel around Will’s shoulders. “I don’t need anything right now, man. Later.”

Will frowns at him.

“Okay, first off, it’s not tit for tat. Second off, you’re not even able to sit upright.”

Will doesn’t argue, but he keeps staring. Nursey stares back until his face goes soft.

“I take it back. I do need something.”

Before Will can respond, Nursey cups his face and leans down to kiss him. His mouth is warm and open and Will feels like he can’t react fast enough before Nursey is backing away. Will reaches up and grabs him, pulling him again to tilt his head and slip his tongue into Nursey’s mouth. Nursey chuckles against his lips, gives him one last quick peck, and pulls away.

Nursey’s fully hard again, but he pays it no attention as he wraps a towel around his waist. He helps Will stand and ties a towel around him too.

“Can you make it to the room okay?” he asks.

Will considers. The dizziness has passed. He’s exhausted and overheated, but he’s not worried about falling.

“Yeah.”

“Okay. I’ll be right there.”

Will heads to the bedroom where he gets dressed in clean boxers and a new pair of sweats. He stays shirtless. 

It’s light enough out now that the room is dimly lit. Will sits on the bed and pulls back the curtains to let more sunlight in. He leaves the room light off and focuses on picking at the tape holding the bags on over his arm. He manages to get them removed before Nursey returns, leftover towels and their boxers bundled under his arms. He tosses them in the corner of the room and digs around in Will’s bag for a pair of boxers. Will’s wearing the only pair of sweats, so Nursey settles for pulling on a shirt in addition to the boxers.

Will watches, swallowing hard at the sight of Nursey in his clothes. Nursey catches him and winks. Will is embarrassed but only because he can’t seem to stop staring. Nursey sits next to him and wraps an arm low around his back, pulling him close and kissing him.

They only break apart when Will shudders, pulling his arm to his stomach as he winces through a wave of fresh pain. Nursey rubs a hand over his back.

“Let’s get you fed and then you can lay back down.” He points and Will looks to see a plate of food on Bitty’s desk, covered with saran wrap. A yellow post-it note sits on top. He picks it up to see that Bitty’s drawn a smiley face on it and under it: DON’T HAVE SEX IN MY BED

Will chokes on a laugh even as fresh embarrassment burns through him. He hadn’t thought he was that loud, but apparently it had been loud enough. He shows Nursey who tosses his head back and laughs.

They share the plate between them. Nursey sets it back on the desk while Will takes a pill. As soon as he lies back on the bed, exhaustion weighs him down.

“You gonna stay?” he asks, voice already slurring. He forces his eyes open to look up at Nursey.

“Not enough room,” Nursey answers, gesturing.

“Like last night?” He’s not sure he makes sense, but Nursey raises his eyebrows. He glances down the bed.

“You sure?”

Will nods and drags his feet up to give Nursey room to climb in. Nursey’s feet end up under his armpit. It’s a little uncomfortable, but listening to Nursey breathe, feeling the weight of his arm over his shins, the heat of his presence- all of it relaxes Will and he goes to sleep easy.

 

* * *

 

Nursey has a late afternoon class, so they get up together around noon. Will feels better than he had even that morning, so he dresses and joins Nursey downstairs for lunch.

Ransom and Holster are in the kitchen already. Ransom hoots while Holster whoops and they both get fist bumps.

“You don’t even live here and you’re gettin’ laid in the Haus,” Holster says approvingly.

Will groans and covers his face with his hands. 

“I know how to take care of my man.” Nursey grins as opens the fridge door, then freezes as he takes in the contents. “Dude, Dex, check this out.”

Will peers over his shoulder, ignoring the mocking faces Ransom and Holster make at their backs. The top shelf of the fridge is packed with Tupperware containers and a sign sits front-and-center, labeling the shelf FOR DEX ONLY.

Will flushes, but he reaches around Nursey to pull out a container that ends up being filled with some kind of casserole dish. He slaps Nursey’s hand when he tries to grab his own container and points to the sign.

“Not cool,” Nursey whines.

“Right!” Holster exclaims.

“Bitty’s been cooking up a storm and he won’t let anyone eat it,” Ransom laments. He gives a sad look at the container in Will’s hands, eyes wide and wet.

Will shrugs and sticks the container in the microwave. “Bits likes me.”

He laughs as the boys all make offended noises. When casserole is heated, he stands at the sink and eats it, waving Nursey over to feed him bites. Holster makes gagging noises while Ransom’s eyes get larger and sadder.

Bitty and Jack show up then, bringing the smell of overly sweetened coffee with them. Bitty hugs Will, pleased to see he’s up, and then gives in to Ransom’s sad eyes and serves them all from his Dex shelf.

It’s nice, even if all of them make fun of him for kissing Nursey goodbye when he leaves for his class.

 

* * *

 

Bitty convinces him to spend at least one more night in the Haus. Despite Will’s reservations, Bitty promises that Jack doesn’t mind sharing his room with a flush coloring his cheeks. Will debates calling him out, but then he still hasn’t told anyone what he did to break his arm.

It’s only when he’s sitting in bed with Nursey later that night, both of them working on homework, that he realizes he’s forgotten something. He puts Nursey’s laptop aside and crawls across the bed to stack Nursey’s books up out of the way so he can straddle his lap.

Nursey lets him, but as he wraps his arms around Will’s waist, he says, “Dude, I said it was fine if we don’t do anything.”

“No, I know. This isn’t-” Will takes a deep breath. He’s never been very good at this, but he needs to do it. “This is- what you said in the shower-” He tightens his grip on Nursey’s shoulders and forces the words out. “I just- me too. You make me so mad, like all the time sometimes, but I like that you don’t back down just ‘cause. And you’re passionate when you stop pretending you don’t care. I like listening to you read your stupid poems and the way you’ll spend half an hour explaining what two lines mean. And you’re good with kids. And I know I get caught up in getting things perfect, but you know when to let go and I need that sometimes.”

Will knows he’s rambling and that his face is growing redder and redder as he talks. Nursey just watches him, his mouth curved up and his eyes warm and dark. Just as Will’s ready to hurl himself across the bed to get himself to shut up, Nursey covers his mouth with his hand. Will exhales noisily in relief.

“Chill, dude,” Nursey says, and for once, Will cracks up laughing. He buries his head in Nursey’s neck and is stupidly grateful for this idiot under him.

 

* * *

 

Nursey helps Will back to his dorm room the next day, but he's only there long enough to grab clean clothes and his school stuff. His roommate winces when he sees Will's arm but doesn't comment when Will tells him he's going to stay at his boyfriend's for a few nights.

Nursey makes a weird squeaking noise that he pretends never happened.

After they get Will's stuff settled, Nursey backs him onto the bed, stretching over Will’s body. It's a little wider than the one Will has in his room since Nursey has a single with a private bathroom, but it's still a tight fit for the two of them. Not that Will's complaining since he's left with Nursey pressed up against him, knee to thigh to hip to chest.

Nursey kisses him, hot and wet and eager, his hands roaming over Will's body, slipping up under his shirt to press flat to his skin.

"Fuck," Nursey breathes against his mouth. "Are you up to this?"

"Depends on what this is, I guess," Will answers. He curls his hand around Nursey's neck, then changes his mind and slides his hand up to cup the back of his head. It's been a little while, so Nursey's hair is longer than normal, the short strands standing up between Will's fingers. It's as soft as he imagined, and he can't help smiling. He rubs his palm gently against Nursey's skull, then drags it up to twist his fingers into his curls. He toys with Nursey’s hair, running his fingers through the strands, twisting them into the curls to feel them wrap around his fingers.

Nursey lowers his head to rest his chin against Will's chest and watches him.

"What?" Will asks.

"You're into my hair?"

Heat flushes his face and he shrugs a shoulder. He doesn't stop playing with Nursey's curls though. "I like it."

"That's okay. I like yours too."

Will makes a face that has Nursey chuckling. He presses a kiss to Will's sternum through his shirt. He folds his hands over Will's chest and rests his cheek on it.

"Hey. You never told me what happened."

"With what?" Will stalls.

Nursey snorts. "With what?" he mocks. "With your arm."

"I broke it."

"Yeah, but _how_?" Nursey sits up and frowns at him.

"It's not a big deal," Will tries, but Nursey just narrows his eyes.

"I will sick Bitty on you."

"Bitty wouldn't force me to tell."

"Ransom and Holster."

Will glares. "You wouldn't."

"Is it embarrassing?"

"Ugh." Will covers his face with his hand. "Yes," he mutters.

"So tell me."

"It's really not that big of a deal."

"You're only making it worse for yourself."

"I just... I tripped okay?"

"Tripped? Over what?"

Will sighs and gives in. "I tripped over my skates."

Nursey frowns at him. "I do that all the time."

"No, I- I was at Faber."

It takes a moment, one long excruciating moment. "Are you telling me you tripped _on the ice_?" Nursey asks, sitting up completely.

Will groans and drags a pillow over his head.

"Will!" Nursey laughs, bright and delighted, and Will lowers the pillow enough to watch. When Nursey sees, he gives Will a fond look. "I don't even do that."

"I know," he groans, pushing the pillow aside. "You can't tell anyone. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Oh, you already won't hear the end of it."

"Yeah, but I can shut you up with a blowjob."

"Man, pretty sure your dick has to be in my mouth for that to work."

"That can be arranged," Will rebuts sourly.

Nursey gives him a dirty grin. "Seriously, though, how'd you manage to trip over your skates?"

Will sighs. "I don't even know. I was just fucking around."

"Tripped over your own skates. That's fuckin' great, Dex." Nursey leans over to kiss him, his arms bracketing Will's body.

"If you don't stop laughing, I'll go back to my own room," Will says against his lips.

Nursey rolls his hips into Will's, making them both gasp. "I doubt it," he says, and he's right.

 

* * *

 

The next time Will goes to practice Jack tells him he’s not allowed back on the ice until he takes skating classes. He says he can recommend someone local who works with beginners. Bitty pipes up to add that he’s taught skating classes to elementary school kids and could certainly teach him. Ransom and Holster spend the practice falling, arms and legs flailing dramatically.

Will pouts until Nursey skates up and drags him halfway over the boards to kiss him into smiling.

It works, though Will protests the whole time.

**Author's Note:**

> Dex may or may not have been trying to do one of Bitty's figure skating jumps.


End file.
